The present invention relates to a front structure of an automotive vehicle, and in particular, relates to a structure that comprises a bumper face, a bumper mesh, and a vehicle body structure member that is provided behind the bumper face.
A conventional front structure of an automotive vehicle, in which a bumper face is comprised of an upper portion and a lower portion and a bumper face lower reinforcing portion is provided behind the lower portion of the bumper face, is known (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-203158).
The bumper face lower reinforcing portion disclosed in the above-described patent publication may prevent dragging of a pedestrian when the vehicle hits the pedestrian (prevent legs of the pedestrian from being dragged below the vehicle).
The above-described patent publication also discloses a structure in which the bumper face lower reinforcing portion is connected to a cross member via an under cover that covers a front lower face of the vehicle to reduce a vehicle traveling resistance. Thereby, the bumper face lower reinforcing portion may be supported with a high rigidity, suppressing a weight increase, so the prevention of dragging of the pedestrian at the vehicle hitting the pedestrian may be improved.
Herein, the above-described under cover is a member that is originally provided for the purpose of reducing the vehicle traveling resistance, not for increasing the rigidity of the vehicle lower body. Therefore, the rigidity of the under cover may not be very high (strong).
Accordingly, the support strength of the bumper face lower reinforcing portion connected via the under cover may not be sufficient. Thus, there is a problem in that the bumper face lower reinforcing portion moves rearward at the vehicle hitting the pedestrian, so that the bumper face lower reinforcing portion would not perform the prevention of dragging of the pedestrian properly.
Further, since the structure disclosed in the above-described patent publication may require the under cover to support the bumper face lower reinforcing portion, the number of parts of the structure would inevitably increase.